Category: Football

The Ohio State football team is set to hold its fourth annual Student Appreciation Day on April 11 at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, with a fastest Buckeye competition among the festivities.
The practice is set to begin at 11 a.m. with doors opening at 10 a.m. Students can gain entry with their BuckID.
The fastest Buckeye competition is set to be held for the second straight year. OSU’s release said a preliminary round will be held on April 6 at 5 p.m. at the WHAC. The student appreciation practice will feature the semifinals while the finals will be held at halftime of the annual Spring Game on April 18… Read more

One thing’s for sure: football isn’t good for your long-term health.
As exhibited by the early retirement of former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland this month, there are better long-term options than repeatedly smashing year head, with or without a helmet. The issue of concussions in football — especially the NFL — has sparked debate far and wide in recent years, with retirements like Borland’s providing a somewhat positive example of a solution.
Then there’s the grim incidents related to concussions — like the suicide of Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau.
Of course any athlete would like to avoid serious brain damage, but many aren’t willing to give… Read more

Much like the rest of the Ohio State football team, the offensive line is bringing back plenty of experience.
With four starters coming back to Columbus and just one spot open, it appears as though there’s a two-horse race to become a starting member of what the Buckeyes call “the slobs.”
Redshirt-senior Chase Farris and sophomore Jamarco Jones are the frontrunners to replace Darryl Baldwin at right tackle, but offensive line coach and offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said Farris is ahead of the pack.
“He hit stride where we thought he was playing really good towards the end of the (2014) season, but you got a starting lineup, we (were)… Read more

With a defense that returns two of its three starting linebackers from a national championship team, the learning process is now over.
For the most part.
The Ohio State football team returns senior linebacker Joshua Perry and redshirt-sophomore Darron Lee to the starting lineup for the Buckeyes in 2015, but sophomore Raekwon McMillan is set to make his first appearance as a full-time starter at middle linebacker in the upcoming season.
Perry, who led the Buckeyes in tackling during their title run, said he has seen McMillan improve in more ways than one as he transitions into a starting role.
“He is different in terms of how he has matured… Read more

The Ohio State athletic department is “looking into” an Instagram post by redshirt-senior quarterback Braxton Miller posted Tuesday night, an OSU spokesman confirmed to The Lantern.
Miller posted the following to his Instagram account @braxtonmiller92 before removing it on Wednesday morning:
The photo pictures Miller seated next to Brandon Oshodin, owner of Authentik Fitness in Columbus and an AdvoCare distributor.
It also shows products on the table in front of Miller from AdvoCare, which is a company that “provides innovative nutritional, weight-management, sports performance and skin care products,” according to its website.
According to the NCAA recommendations page on the AdvoCare website, a student-athlete may not use “photos of themselves… Read more

When two recent Heisman Trophy candidates and the reigning National Championship starter play quarterback for the same team, things could get ugly.
But at Ohio State, “it’s all positive” between redshirt-senior Braxton Miller, redshirt-sophomore J.T. Barrett and redshirt-junior Cardale Jones, coach Urban Meyer said Tuesday.
“If you watch the three of them, they’re always talking,” Meyer said.
Miller — who has been in the top-10 in Heisman voting twice — was the undisputed starter heading into fall camp in 2014, but he tore the labrum in his throwing shoulder less than two weeks before the season started. That paved the way for Barrett to take the reigns of the OSU… Read more

The last thing Johnny Manziel needs right now is more attention.
NFL Films has reportedly — tentatively — named the Cleveland Browns to be featured for its HBO reality series “Hard Knocks.” While coach Mike Pettine has repeatedly stated that he has no interest in participating, the Browns could be forced to by the league.
Nothing could be worse for Johnny Football. Keep the cameras far away from him.
Manziel shined in the spotlight while at Texas A&M, becoming one of the most talked about pro prospects in years. Despite his success in college, his talents haven’t quite translated to the NFL.
Those sneaky concerns about arm strength and field… Read more

After putting the pedal to the metal to complete “The Chase,” the Ohio State football team moved straight into “The Grind.”
But as the Buckeyes completed practice Tuesday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center — just their third since winning the National Championship — coach Urban Meyer said it might be time to pump the breaks. Meyer said OSU is monitoring the reps of certain players, leading to less cohesiveness on the practice field.
“That’s why sometimes it looks really bad, and today it was not a pleasant one,” Meyer said Tuesday. “We’re not gonna blame players or coaches yet. That’s coming, though, if you don’t get better.”
The Buckeyes… Read more

For some, pro day is a way to improve on subpar performances in certain events at the NFL Scouting Combine. For others, it is a time to introduce yourself, both personally and through your play, to the NFL scouts and coaches on hand.
No matter what the goal was, the 10 former Ohio State players currently entered in the 2015 NFL draft had a chance to reach it Friday morning with OSU’s annual pro day event at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
At one end of the spectrum is wide receiver Devin Smith, who currently projects as a first-round pick in many mock drafts. Smith, who performed at the combine… Read more

Much like this offseason, last year, the Ohio State football team had a heated battle for the quarterback depth chart on its hands.
Only then, the race was on for the No. 2 slot.
Now, the two contenders for last year’s backup spot — redshirt-sophomore J.T. Barrett and redshirt-junior Cardale Jones — are entrenched in a race for the starting job with the incumbent heading into the 2014 campaign, redshirt-senior Braxton Miller.
Jones said it’s easy for people to forget that the quarterbacks are constantly in competition, even if the starter is firmly in place.
“It’s always been a competition to us,” Jones said Thursday. “Ever since I stepped on… Read more